Bergenia  plant named ‘Flirt’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Bergenia  plant characterized by a vigorous, miniature habit, clean, shiny green late spring to summer foliage, numerous short inflorescences, large, deep pink flowers in a very showy spring display, and clean, shiny and almost black winter leaves.

Botanical denomination: Bergenia hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘Flirt’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Bergenia hybrid and given the cultivar name of ‘Flirt’. Bergenia is in the family Saxifragaceae. The new cultivar originated from a planned breeding program to create small pot type Bergenia. The new cultivar was created from controlled crosses using proprietary parents. The exact parents were not recorded and are unknown.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Bergenia is unique in having:

-   -   1. a vigorous, miniature habit,     -   2. clean, shiny green late spring to summer foliage,     -   3. numerous short inflorescences,     -   4. large, deep pink flowers in a very showy spring display, and     -   5. clean, shiny and almost black winter leaves.

There are no similar Bergenia on the market.

Compared to Bergenia ‘Pink Dragonfly’, an unpatented small cultivar, the new cultivar has smaller leaves, more crowns and more flowering stems with shorter flower stalks.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may change with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a 9 month old Bergenia ‘Flirt’ in February in the trial gardens in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the same plant in bud and flower in early April.

FIG. 3 shows the same plant in late April in the garden.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Bergenia based on observations of nine-month-old specimens grown in the ground in full sun in the trial fields in late April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 3 to 9.         -   Size.—19 cm wide and 13 cm tall without flowers, 16 cm with             flowers.         -   Form.—Clumping.         -   # crowns.—About 10, each with about 4 rosettes.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous network, White 155A. -   Leaf:     -   -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Number.—About 5 per rosette.         -   Type.—Simple.         -   Shape.—Obovate.         -   Blade size.—Grows to 7.5 cm long and 38 mm wide.         -   Margins.—Dentate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous on both surfaces.         -   Petiole description.—Grows to 4.4 cm long and 6 mm wide,             glabrous, base sheathing, sheath ligulate and spreading to 6             mm wide at base, Yellow Green 145B tinted Greyed Red 181A in             sun in spring to Yellow Green 147B tinted Greyed Red 181A in             winter.         -   Color.—Late spring and summer topside Green N137B with             margin edged Greyed Purple 185A and with main vein and             largest lateral veins Yellow Green 145B, bottom side Yellow             Green 147C heavily tinted Greyed Purple 185A in sun and             lower main veins 145C in shade; winter and early spring             leaves topside Greyed Purple 187A with largest veins Greyed             Purple 185B, bottom side Greyed Purple 187C. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Scapose cyme.         -   Number of cymes.—About 13.         -   Number of flowers per scape.—About 12.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Grows to 7 cm long and 5.5 cm wide.         -   Peduncle.—Grows to 13 cm tall and 5 mm wide, glabrous on             bottom half to glandular near top, Yellow Green 147D in             shade and Red Purple 185A in sun.         -   Pedicel.—Grows 4 mm to 8 mm long, 1.5 mm wide, glossy and             glandular, Greyed Purple 187C. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—8 mm long and 5 mm wide.         -   Shape.—Ovoid.         -   Surface.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Greyed Purple 187C. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Bisexual.         -   Size.—11 mm long and 20 mm to 25 mm wide.         -   Corolla description.—11 mm long and 20 mm to 25 mm wide,             bell-shaped, glabrous inside and out; petals, usually 8 in             number, grow to 13 mm long and 9 mm wide, obovate, margin             entire, tip obtuse, base attenuate, glabrous on both sides,             topside Red Purple 64C darkening to 64A at base, bottom side             64D.         -   Calyx description.—10 mm long and 8 mm wide, campanulate, 5             lobes each 6 mm long and 3.8 mm wide, not overlapping,             oblong, margin entire, tips obtuse, sparsely glandular             outside, glabrous inside, color inside and outside Greyed             Purple 183A.         -   Pistil description.—2 to 3, fused at base, Greyed Red 181B             overall, each 6 mm long and 3 mm wide, ovary oval, 3 mm long             and 3 mm wide; style 3 mm long and 2 mm wide, stigma 2             lobed, 3 mm wide.         -   Stamen description.—10 in number, 5 mm long, filaments 4.5             mm long, Red Purple 60C, anthers 0.5 mm long, Yellow White             158A; pollen White 155A.         -   Bloom period.—April in Canby, Oreg.         -   Lastingness of bloom.—Each flower lasts about a week.         -   Fragrance.—None. -   Fruit: None seen. -   Seed: None seen. -   Pest and diseases: Pest and disease resistance are typical for this     type of Bergenia. No known resistances. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Bergenia plant as herein illustrated and described. 